Heating system for ironing machines



Aug. 18, 193

.G. W. AKERLOW HEATING SYSTEM FOR IRONING MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet l YEW/SF:

Aug. 18, 1931. s. w. AKERLOW HEATING SYSTEM FOR IRQNING MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 kw 5 7 3% I w 7 4 w kw QM wx k 4 w% G I l Q8 n M an a N E v "UN." h NM, NM, Q R M V m N V N/ n N A Q M fi a j 6 m6 aw mwq M U I mm. QW H H v km -N 1 v hw MW 0 1| m Ql N QQ WW MIN M QNMN Q. Q m

Aug. 18, 1931. G. w. AKERLOW HEATING SYSTEM FOR IRONING MACHINES Filed Aug. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Aug. 18, 1931 uNrrEo STATES PATENT; OFFICE GUSTAV W. AKERLOW, OF AURORA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TOKELLMAN S YC'AMOBE' (10M- ZPANY, OF SYCAMOBE, ILLINOIS, .A CORPORATTON'OF ILLINOIS HEATING SYSTEM FOR mourns vincnmns Application filed. August 16, 1930. Serial 1101475545.

My invention relates to heating systems particularly eflicient for heating the comparatively long ironing drums of lroning machines.

An important object of the invention is to provide construction and arrangement in which air is heatedand circulated to flow uniformly lengthwise ofthe ironing drum to cause uniform heating thereof.

A further object is to establish a circulatory path of air uniformly paralleling the inner side of the ironing drum, and to heat the air traveling through such path.

Another object is to provide means such as a blower or fan for drawing in air and establishing the circulatory path therefor, to-

gether with a burner for heating the air.

A further object is to provide means such as a fan or blower for recirculating the products of combustion for reheating thereof, thereby decreasing fuel consumption.

Astill further object is to provide a cylindrical shell within the ironing drum and separated therefrom by a heating space, and to provide a burner at one end of the shell and circulating means at the other end to draw the heated air through the shell and distribute it to fiow uniformly through the heating space and against the drum to uniformly heat the drum.

The above referred to and other features of my invention are incorporated in the structure disclosed on the drawings, in which drawings:

Figure 1 ironing machine employing my improved heating system.

*igure 2 is an elevation of the other end of the machine.

Figure 3 is a section on plane III-III of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged section on plane IV-IV of Figure 3.

The ironing machine to which I have shown my invention applied comprises supporting end frames 10 and 11 connect-ed by tie beams is an elevation of one end of an.

gears.

into which projects the housing or frame 18 for supporting burner structures, to be described more in detail later.

The cylindrical ironing drum 19 has the lar end 21 of the ironing drum supports a sprocket ring 25 connected by a chain belt 26 with a sprocket gear 27 on the shaft 28 having at its inner end the driving gear 29. The gear is engaged by a pinion 30 on the shaft of a reduction gearing structure 31 driven by an electrical motor 32, the reduction gearing structure in the motor being mounted within the machine ofv the cross beam 12.

The supporting end frame 10 supports a semi-circular frame 33 which arches over the adjacent end of the ironing drum concentric therewith, and the frame 11 supports a similar semi-circular frame 34 arching over the adjacent end of the drum concentric therewith. Thesearch frames journal the ironing rolls 35 which parallel the ironing drum. Re-

forming the other set. Between the rolls A andB a transmission gear 38 meshes with the gears of the rolls and between the rolls B and C a transmission gear 39 meshes with the roll Between the rolls D and E is the transmission gear 40 and between the rolls E and F is a transmission 41.

- The various gears are all housed within the frame 34, and below the drum A the frame journals the shaft 42 carrying a gear 43 which meshes with the gear 37on the roll A. The shaft 42 also carries a sprocket wheel 44 connected by achain belt 45 with the sprocket pinion 46 on the shaft 28. Below the roll F the frame 34 journals the shaft 47 on which is the gear 48 meshing with the gear of the roll F. The shaft 47 supports also the sprocket wheel 49 connected by chain belt 50 with the sprocket pinion 51 on the shaft 28. hen the motor operates, the ironing drum will be rotated and the various ironing rolls will also be rotated so that work fed in at the roll A will be drawn through the machine by the rolls. The work may be fed into the machine by a conveyor belt 52 traveling over the feed table 53.

Referring now to Figure 3, the stationary frame 18 carries a bracket 54 which supports the inlet tube 55 for the burner head 56. A gas pipe 57 supplies the gas to the tube 55 and combined air and gas flow to the burner head. The bracket 54 and the burner head are within the end of a cylindrical shell 58 supported at one end by the frame 18 and at its other end by the frame 15, the shell being concentric with the ironing drum but spaced therefrom to leave the annular space or passage P. The inner wall of the frame 15 has the passage 59 connecting the fan chamber 16 with the interior of the shell 58, and the frame 15 has also the ports 60 connecting the fan chamber with the space P.

A plate 61 closes the outer end of the fan chamber and supports the bracket 62 on which is mounted an electric motor 63 whose shaft 64 extends through a journal box 65 on the wall 61 and within the fan chamber carries the fan or vane structure 66. The passage 59 forms the inlet to the fan chamber from the shell 58 and the ports 60 form the outlet passage from the fan chamber to the space P so that when the fan isdriven air will be drawn out of the shell 58 and discharged into the space P. s

The outer wall of the burner supporting frame 18 has damper passages 67 therethrough controllable by means of a. damper plate 68 so that the supply of air for the burner may be regulated. The frame 18 also forms the annular passage or flue space 69 and this space communicates'through ports 70 with the space P between the shell and the drum. A plate 71 secured to the outer side of the'frame 18 forms a closure for the space 69 and supports a stack 72 which may be controlled by a damper 73.

When the blower or fan is operating and the burner is ignited, air will be drawn in through the damper ports 67 by the suction created by the fan within the shell 58, and, as this air travels through the combustion zone of the burner head, it will be heated, and the heated air will be drawn into the fan chamber and expelled therefrom through the ports 60 into space P between the shell and drum to flow along the inner side of the di-um and to the stack 72. As the outlet ports 60 from the fan chamber and the inlet ports 7 O to the space 69 are spaced in circular rows,

the heated air will be distributed and will flow uniformly through the space P to uniformly heat the drum.

I preferably provide for reheating the air which has traveled through the space P and I, therefore, cut the openings 74 in the shell 58 in front of the burner head so that part of the air traveling through the space P will be drawn back into the shell 58 by the suction therein and reheated by the burner. The openings 74 are preferably regularly spaced around the shell so as to cause uniform flow of the air into the shell. By properly adjusting the stack damper 73 and the speed of the fan motor the proportion of heated air escaping from the stack and recirculated through the heating shell 58 can be accurately gauged. When the machine is in operation the greater part of the heated air forced through the space P by the fan will flow through the passages 74 to be re-" heated, and if the drum should become too hot the damper 7 3 may be opened to take OK the surplus heat, or the burner flame can be turned down. By regulating the damper 68 the proper amount of fresh air for supplying the burner is admitted. When the various parts have been properly adjusted, the stack will carry off substantially only the spent products of combustion and very little heat will be lost. As the ironing drum revolves around the heating structure, the gaskets 23 and 24 will prevent escape of the heat directly to the exterior.

The heating mechanism is of simple construction and arrangement and can be read ily installed or removed from the machine. By unbolting the frames 15 and 18 the entire burner mechanism can be withdrawn from the machine.

Changes and modifications can, of course, be made both in the construction and arrangement without departing from the scope and principles of my invention, and I do not, therefore, desire to be limited except as is specified in the appended claims.

I claim as follows:

1. In combination, a drum to be heated, a tubular shell extending through said drum concentric therewith and spaced therefrom to leave an intervening space, a heating device at one end of said tubular shell, and a circulating device at the other end of said shell arranged to draw heated air out of said shell and force it to flow longitudinally through said intervening space to heat said drum.

2. I11 combination, a drum to be heated, a tubular shell extending through said drum concentric therewith and spaced therefrom drum, and passages through said shell adj acent to the heating device for the flow from the intervening space into said shell of air to be re-heated.

3. In combination, a drum to be heated, a tubular shell extending through said drum coaxial therewith but spaced therefrom to leave an intervening passageway, there being ports through said tubular shell at substantially one end for connecting the interior thereof with said intervening passageway, a fan structure at the other end of said tubular shell arranged to create suction within said shell to draw air therethrough and to propel said air through said intervening passage for re-flow into said shell through said ports whereby the air will be circulated through a fixed path, and a burner device for heating the air during circulation thereof.

4. In combination, a drum to be heated, a tubular shell within said drum concentric therewith but spaced away therefrom to leave an intervening passageway, said shell having communication substantially at its ends with said intervening passageway, a circulating device at one end of said shell operative to cause flow of air in one direction through said shell and in the opposite direction to the flow in the intervening passageway, and a heating device at the other end of said shell for heating the circulating air.

5. In combination, a drum' to be heated, a blower frame at one end of said drum, a burner structure supporting frame at the other end of said drum, a tubular shell extending between said frames concentric with said drum but spaced froln the drum to leave an intervening passageway, a burner supported by said burner supporting frame and extending into the adjacent end of said shell, an air propeller within said blower frame and a driving source therefor, there being air passages connecting the interior of the blower 1 frame with the interior of said shell and with said intervening passageway and said propeller operating to draw the products of combustion from said shell and discharging them into said intervening passageway, and a flue for receiving the products of combustion communicating with said passageway.

6. In combination, a drum to be heated, a tubular shell extending through said drum concentric therewith but spaced therefrom to leave an intervening passageway, air inlet means at one end of said shell and a heating device for heating the incoming air, a circulating device at the other end of said shell for drawing the heated air through said shell and for discharging it into said intervening space to heat said drum, and means for enabling air to flow back into said shell to be reheated.

7. In combination, a drum to be heated, a

tubular shell extending through said drum concentric therewith and spaced therefrom to leave an intervening annular space, air inlet means at one end of said shell and a burner therein for heating the inflowing air, a circulating device at the other end of said shell connected to draw the heated air through said shell and to discharge it to flow through said intervening space to heat the drum, means for enabling part of the air to flow back into said shell to be reheated and recirculated, and a discharge outlet to the exterior from said intervening space.

8. In combination with the ironing drum of an ironing machine, of a tubular shell extending therethrough concentric therewith but spaced therefrom to leave an annular passageway, said shell having an air inlet at one end and a burner in the path of the air entering said inlet, a circulating device at the other end of said shell operating to draw air into said shell through said inlets to be heated by the burner and to discharge the heated air into said annular passageway, means for enabling part of the air to flow from said annular space back into the shell to be reheated and recirculated, and a controllable flue outlet from said annular space for carrying off the spent products of combustion.

9. The combination with the rotatable drum of an ironing machine, of a stationary supporting frame projecting into one end of said drum and a burner supported thereby, a blower structure stationarily mounted and 100 projecting into the other end of said drum, a tubular shell extending between said burner supporting frame and blower structure and being concentric with the drum but spaced therefrom to leave an annular passageway, 1 5 said shell at the burner end having an air inlet for the entrance of air to flow past said burner, said blower structure being connected to create suction within said shell whereby to draw the heated air through the shell 110 and to discharge it into said annular passageway for heating said drum, and means for enabling air to flow from said annular passageway back into said shell for reheating and recirculation.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name at Sycamore, De Kalb County, Illinois.

GUSTAV W. AKERLOW. 

